Pretty solid year for me. It's seemed like a "re-building year" in the past because I'll have an injury to deal with, but this year is injury-free, thanks to a new training program I've developed for myself (more on that later).
I have this cycle where I put on some weight in Jan-Feb, and then I'll lose it in the spring. I'll feel fit by July, when all of the waves disappear. Then Fall is awesome, but way too short, and I do my yearly surf trip in November. But, this year, I've broken that cycle by training more consistently.
As far as actual surfing, I'm bogging less on my top turns and my cutback is whipping around with more speed and connecting me to the sections better.
I wouldn't say that my improvements are obvious from the beach, but I think coming into this spring and next fall, things will continue to add up, and soon I'll have a well-rounded repertoire of maneuvers.
Shaped my first board this year, so I've improved my understanding of hydrodynamics. I've been developing sketches for my next one.
My wave forecasting has improved. I've learned to really wait for the best times and not just head out. If I can't go out during the best times, sometimes, I'll find extra work to do and earn money for surf trips. I realized that sometimes if I stay out of the water, I'll actually get to spend more time in better waves through traveling.
Also, I've been working on my surf photography. I got some new equipment this year, and I've been following more photographers online, and I also picked up 25 back issues of The Surfer's Journal on Ebay. And, just think, if I'm on the beach shooting, that's one less surfer in the water, right?
That's my yearly roundup, maybe next year will be my first landed air? Or a couple barrels in one session? I try not to push too hard on goals though, except to enjoy each session and meet more surfers.
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